Extreme Temperature Diary- Saturday October 14th, 2023/Main Topic: Update on Extreme Drought Across South-Central States

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The main purpose of this ongoing blog will be to track planetary extreme, or record temperatures related to climate change. Any reports I see of ETs will be listed below the main topic of the day. I’ll refer to extreme or record temperatures as ETs (not extraterrestrials).😉

Main Topic: Update on Extreme Drought Across South-Central States

Dear Diary. We’ve been concentrating a lot on extreme heat this year. Across the United States most extreme heat exacerbated by climate change was concentrated from the Southwest into the South-Central states. That heat was caused by heat domes, which also negate rainfall. Heat breeds drought, and drought leads to more heat. Here is the current U.S. Drought Moniter Chart:

The states with the worst conditions are Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi, which during the summer suffered some of the worst anomalous heat over the summer.

Finally, this fall U.S. heat domes have broken down with historic heatwaves coming to an end, but will current historic drought across the south-central U.S. also come to an end? The good news is that a traditional El Niño pattern spells a lot of wet weather across the southern U.S. We will see a strong El Nino during the winter. The bad news is that climate change may put a monkey wrench into any traditional rainfall patterns. We will see what happens to the current drought during the winter of 2023/2024.

Here is an article from Desdemona Despair describing consequences from dry conditions across Texas:

In Texas, water levels are so low a rarely-seen underwater cave and century-old ruins have appeared – “I haven’t seen the water this low since I moved here. It’s actually kind of sad.” – Desdemona Despair

In Texas, water levels are so low a rarely-seen underwater cave and century-old ruins have appeared – “I haven’t seen the water this low since I moved here. It’s actually kind of sad.”

A bridge and rubble from a previous house that was underwater at Canyon Lake in Texas reappeared in 2023 due to historically low water levels. Photo: JM Perez / CNN

By Amanda Jackson and Zoe Sottile
30 September 2023

(CNN) – Water levels are so low at Canyon Lake in Texas that an underwater cave and remnants of communities that stood more than a century ago at the site are reappearing.

The lake, located in Comal County just northeast of San Antonio, is a man-made lake spanning 8,200 acres with 80 miles of shoreline. It was constructed in 1958 to help mitigate flooding and preserve water and was filled with water by 1968, according to the US Army Corps of Engineers.

The area has experienced little rain over the summer. The drought combined with high heat to produce all-time low water levels. On Wednesday, the level fell to 890.89 feet, according to the US Army Corps of Engineers, which the agency said is about 18 feet lower than normal and the lowest recorded level in recent history.

This cave, which is typically underwater at Canyon Lake, appeared as Texas has suffered extreme heat and little rain over the summer of 2023. Photo: JM Perez / CNN

JM Perez captured images on Tuesday showing the cave, which is usually underwater. He said the rare sighting was bittersweet.

“I work on the lake, so I’ve been watching it drop,” he told CNN. “We are a little over 18 feet low now. It is very sad to see it but on the other hand, it is very cool seeing some of the hidden caves. As well the history that is coming to the surface.”

The towns of Hancock and Crane’s Mill, founded by German immigrants in the 1850s, once occupied the space now filled by water, according to CNN affiliate KSAT. Some of Perez’ images show remnants of a house that lay on the lake’s floor. Remnants of the Hancock bridge were also visible.

The water levels seemed to drop precipitously – in images captured by Porsche Devol on September 2, only a small portion of a cave was visible and now photos show a vast entrance with rock formations and stalactites hanging from the ceiling.

“I haven’t seen the water this low since I moved here,” Devol told CNN. “It’s actually kind of sad.” [more]

In Texas, water levels are so low a rarely-seen underwater cave and century-old ruins have appeared

Here are some “ET’s” recorded from around the planet the last couple of days, their consequences, and some extreme temperature outlooks, as well as any extreme precipitation reports:

Here is some more brand-new September 2023 climatology:

Here is More Climate and Weather News from Saturday:

(As usual, this will be a fluid post in which more information gets added during the day as it crosses my radar, crediting all who have put it on-line. Items will be archived on this site for posterity. In most instances click on the pictures of each tweet to see each article. The most noteworthy items will be listed first.)

Today’s News on Sustainable, Traditional Polluting Energy from Fossil Fuel, and the Green Revolution:

More from the Weather Department:

More on the Environment:

More on Other Science and the Beauty of Earth and this Universe:

If you like these posts and my work on record temperature ratios, please contribute via my PayPal widget on this site. Thanks in advance for any support. 

Guy Walton… “The Climate Guy”

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